Calk socket setting device



Oct. 8, 1940. I w. H. NICKERSON 2,217,026

CALK SOCKET SETTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 29, 1938 Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

The subject matter of the present invention is a machine or tool for setting, in shoe soles, sockets or bases for securing outwardly projecting calks and the like. Shoes furnished for the use of runners, ball players, golfers, and for other uses where immunity from slipping is desired, are commonly provided with calks or spikes projecting from the outer face of the sole, which calks include a screw threaded shank projecting inwardly and anchored by being screwed into a socket which is set into the sole from the inner face thereof and is made with an internally threaded sleeve and a base flange on the inner end of the sleeve having prongs adapted to be 1 embedded in the sole and prevent rotation. The sleeve portions of such sockets enter holes cut through the sole substance. This invention is concerned with means for cutting such holes and inserting the socket member in a single operation. 20 Devices and apparatus for thus applying calk retaining socket members have been heretofore used commercially to some extent. They include cooperating presser parts, one of which is adapted to locate and advance the socket piece in a 25 given path, and the other is a bed or die member having a passageway alined with such path and adapted to cooperate with the socket in punching a hole through the sole into which the socket sleeve is set. Owing to the fact that the sole 30 is always somewhat thicker than the length of the socket sleeve, and that sockets having sleeves of the same length are provided for application to shoe soles of different thicknesses, it frequently happens that the leather of the sole is not cut cleanly all the way through but that the displaced plug of leather is torn away more or less raggedly from the outer part of the sole and that a fin of leather or bunches of fibers are left protruding across the rim of the socket and into its L bore to a greater or less extent. Such protruding fins or tatters of leather interfere with the entrance of the threaded shank of the calk into the socket, and unless they are removed before the shank is applied either preventits entrance into the socket or cause it to be tilted so that the complemental threads are crossed and either the calk and socket are spoiled, or loss of time ensues in making repeated attempts to aline the calk properly with the socket and screw it home. 0 Sometimes, in the case of a particularly thick sole, or one made of especially tough or hard leather, the plug partially displaced by the entering socket sleeve is not wholly severed but remains in attachment with the sole wholly or 5 partially around its periphery.

These deficiencies of the previously known onestep methods of applying sockets require inspection of the shoes in which such sockets have been placed and the services of an operator armed with a cutting blade or pointed instrument to sever 5 and pick out the unsevered remnants of leather. Such inspection and cleaning of the socket holes is a cause of expense and of delay in the finishing. of such shoes. But unless it is done carefully and properly,'trouble is later encountered when calks are set into the sockets. I

The particular object of this invention is to improve the socket setting instrumentalities so as to insure clean severance of the displaced material of the sole and avoid necessity of inspection and clearing of the holes. A further object is to simplify and facilitate the operation of placing the socket pieces in position to be inserted in the sole. Still another object and effect of the means provided for accomplishing the first named object is to form the outer orifice of the passageway through the sole in a manner which facilitates entrance therein of the threaded shank of the calk.

The drawing furnished herewith illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, but with-. out limiting the scope thereof to the details of such embodiment.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine or tool embodying the invention, shown on a reduced scale;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a calk socket member of the character referred to;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale of the cooperating tools of the device;

, Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views of such tools in successive stages of punching a hole through the shoe sole and placing the calk socket therein;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the sole with the socket therein and a calk screwed into the socket;

Figs. 7 and 8 are similar views (without the calk) showing the effects of the apparatus in setting sockets into soles of respectively less and greater thickness than that shown in Fig. 6.

Like reference characters designate the same parts wherever they occur in all the figures.

The machine as illustrated in Fig. 1 is a press having a base portion a on which a die holder b is supported, a guide portion 0 containing an endwise reciprocatable plunger or slide at, and an operating lever e pivoted to the frame at ,f and having a gear segment g meshing with rack teeth h in the side of the plunger.

As thus far described, the press represents any Z and complemental die.

suitable means for supporting and actuating the operating tools.

Such tools comprise a pusher 1' having a centering projection k, and a die I. The pusher is attached to the lower end of plunger d by any suitable means, as a shank part m entering a socket in the plunger and secured therein by a set screw 11.. The projection 7c is adapted to enter the threaded bore of the calk socket member, and may be made as a piece separate from the pusher detachably and adjustably located in a complemental recess therein and secured by a set screw 0, with one end projecting, as shown by Fig. 3.

The calk socket member, as shown by Figs. 2-8 inclusive, is made with a sleeve portion 1), the interior of which is screw threaded, and a wide flange or base q on one end, from the periphery of which sharp pointed prongs are partially severed and bent down. Its threaded bore is complemental to the threaded shank s of the calk t (Fig. 6) so that, when the socket member is inserted in a hole passing through a shoe sole, such shank may be entered from the outer side of the sole and screwed home. The calk is also provided with a flange u to bear on the outer surface of the sole, compressing the sole more or less between itself and the flange q, and preventing the calk from displacement or tilting sidewise and from becoming loosened.

i nest of the soles within the range of thickness for -which sockets of the same size are designed, and

it is much shorter than the thickness of the thickest soles within that range. In the socket setting process to which this invention particularly relates, and as heretofore practised, the socket itself is used as a punch, in cooperation with a complemental die, to make its own hole in the shoe sole, and an auxiliary plunger is used to displace the plug partially severed by the socket member But since the socket member does not pass all the way through the sole, it does not sever the plug cleanly and the auxiliary plunger is relied on to tear it away from its remaining attachment'to the sole.

' In accordance with my invention I have provided a tool member in the nature of a die which cooperates with the socket in cleanly cutting a hole all the way through a sole of any thickness within the range to which a calk with a given :length of shank can be accommodated. The die Z previously referred to embodies the principles of such a tool. It has a passageway or bore w extending throughout its length and of suitable diameter to receive the socket sleeve p with enough clearance to permit free entrance thereof, but at the same time to fit closely enough to cooperate with the socket member in shearing the material of the sole. to receive the socket sleeve is beveled externally to :-a thin edge ac, with formation of a surrounding The end of the die which is designed.

diameter of the projection is nearly as large as the open passageway through the threaded socket and large enough to center the latter with respect to the die so that the advancing end of the socket member will enter the orifice of the die when the tools are brought together.

The pusher a has a wide plane surface on its end arranged tobear on the socket flange q over the entire area of the latter. It is magnetized and is thereby enabled to hold by magnetic attraction iron or steel socket pieces placed over the centering projection, even though the machine is used in an upright position with the bearing surface 7" facing downward. This is the preferred position of use, as it permits the sole to be most easily handled and located on the die. In operation, a shoe sole 1' is placed over the die with that area thereof in which a calk is to be placed directly over the edge of the die; and a socket member is placed over the centering projection and left to be held against the bearing face of the presser by the magnetic attraction thereof. The plunger d is then depressed by movement of the operating. lever e, effected either directly by hand or foot power, or with the aid of any suitable mechanism of known character.

In the descent of the plunger, the centering projection first presses on the sole, causing the under side thereof to be entered by the edge at, which is thin enough to penetrate the sole substance, and may be a sharp cutting edge if desired. At the same time the projection sinks into the upper side of the sole and displaces the intervening material, somewhat as represented in Fig. 4. Further movement of the presser causes the socket itself to enter the sole, displacing the area with which it'engages, and cooperating with the edge at of the die in shearing the material and completely severing a plug thereof, which is displaced through the bore of the die. At the conclusion of relative movement between the tools, the end of the socket enters the die, as shown in Fig. 5, to a greater or less extent depending on the thickness of the sole; and with the thickest soles it passes at least substantially as far as the plane of the edge 3:. The final pressing action causes the tapered end y of the die to enter the sole from the under side to a depth determined by the height of the tapered portion above the adjacent plane face of the die; the outer face of such tapered portion then giving a flaring formation to the walls of the hole.

Preferably the portion of the die surrounding the taper y is a plane surface perpendicular to the line of pressure application and at a predetermined distance below the edge a: such as to support the sole under the final pressure while the prongs r enter fully into the sole substance, and enabling the flange q to be more or less embedded, if desired, by exertion of suificiently powerful pressure.

By reason of the thin edge and surrounding taper of the die, the plug punched out from the sole is cleanly severed, the material of the sole adjacent to the entering end of the socket is pushed back from such end, leaving its entrance wholly unobstructed, and the outer orifice of the hole is enlarged. Such enlargement facilitates entrance of the shank of the calk into the orifice of the socket.

These effects and results are the same whatever may be the thickness of, the sole, within the limits previously indicated. This is illustrated by Figs. 6, '7 and 8, of whichFig. 6 shows a sole of medium thickness, Fig. 7 one .ofapproximately,

minimum thickness, and Fig. 8 one of approximately maximum thickness. It will be noted that in the medium thick sole the wall formation produced by the tapered die extends somewhat back of the end of the socket; in the thin sole the corresponding wall formation extends comparatively far back on the socket; and in the thick sole it meets the end of the socket. The comparatively short length of support afforded the socket in the case of the thin sole by the closely surrounding sole substance does not permit tilting or wobbling of the calk because the wide flanges of the calk and its socket tightly grip the sole over such a wide area that tilting or wobbling is made absolutely impossible.

A minor feature of the invention is the formation of the socket with an internal chamfer or bevel p at its entering end. This bevel is extended substantially to its outer circumference, making an acute edge which assists in cutting the sole. It also assists in guiding the shank of the calk into mesh with the screw threads of the socket.

In the foregoing description it has been assumed that the shoe sol-es to which calks are applied according to this invention are of leather. Such is indeed the fact in regard tomost athletic or sporting shoes, the soles of which are made of the best quality leather. But this fact is not to be construed as a limitation of the invention to use in connection with leather soles only, for the tools and procedure herein described can be used equally well with soles of other materials. So also may they be used, with appropriate changes of dimensions and proportions if necessary, in connection with soles made of two or more layers of leather or other sole material of any thickness practicable for shoe soles.

The gist of the invention resides in the cooperating tools having the novel characteristics herein described and accessory means for alining and guiding the tools so that one may move toward and away from the other, or both may move simultaneously together and apart. The particulars of the supporting, guiding and force applying means are not important, providedonly they are adequate for the purpose, and they may be widely varied within the scope of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An instrument for applying tubular shoe calk sockets of the type having a sleeve portion and a base part to shoe soles where the length of such sleeve portion is less than the thickness of the sole, comprising a presser having a centering projection of diameter suitable to pass through the interior of such a socket, and a face adapted to abut on the base of the socket, and a die having a bore of a diameter suitable to admit such a socket and cooperate with the end thereof in severing shoe sole material, said die having an external bevel forming an acute angled edge surrounding the entrance end of the bore and extending to a distance from such end substantially as great as the difference between the thickness of the shoe sole and the length of such socket.

2. The method of perforating a shoe sole and setting a shoe calk socket in the sole which comprises providing a die having an interior passage and an external bevel at one end forming an annular edge surrounding the entrance to the passage, providing a tubular socket member of which the external dimensions approximate those of the passage in the die and are small enough to permit entrance of the socket into the die with shearing cooperation with said annular edge, placing a shoe sole between the die and socket, and forcing the socket and die relatively toward one another against opposite faces of the sole and into the substance of the sole until the advancing end of the socket crosses the annular edge of the die.

3. The method of punching a hole through a shoe sole and sett'irr a calk socket therein, which comprises providing a presser having an abutting face and a die having a passage and a cutting edge surrounding one end of such passage, applying to the abutting face of said presser the rear end of a tubular socket member which has an inwardly bevel-ed forward end and of which the external diameter approximates the diameter of the passage in the die, locating the socket member and die in coaxial alinement with a space between them, placing ashoe sole between said die and the beveled forward end or" the socket memher, and forcing the socket member through the sole until its forward end enters the passage in the die.

4. The method of punching a hole through a shoe sole, setting a tubular socket member therein and enlarging the end of the hole adjacent the entering end of the socket member, which coniprises providing a die having a centralpassage and an external tapered surface intersecting the walls of such passage, providing a tubular socket member having an inwardly beveled forward end and external dimensions approximating the internal dimensions of the passage in the die, 10- eating the socket member in alinement with the die and with its beveled end projecting toward but separated from the end of the die which has said external taper, locating a shoe sole between the separated socket and die, and forcing the socket and die into the sole from opposite sides thereof until the socket penetrates the sole and its beveled end enters the passage in the die.

5. The method of perforating a shoe sole and setting a shoe calk socket therein, which comprises providing a die having an interior passage and a cutting edge surrounding one end of such passage, providing a tubular socket member of,

against the opposite faces, and into the substance,

of the sole suiiiciently far to sever with a shearing cut that part of the sole substance which is located between the socket member and the die.

WILLIAM H. NICKERSON. 

